


To Plan a Break-In

by ericsonclan



Series: Fantasy Hijinks AU [7]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26089330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: The rest of the group works to find a way to get Louis and Violet out of jail and run across some interesting people in the process.
Relationships: Aasim/Ruby (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: Fantasy Hijinks AU [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797862
Kudos: 1





	To Plan a Break-In

**Author's Note:**

> (by Laura)

“How are the archives going to help us?” Mitch grumbled. “If we want to have a shot at getting Louis and Violet back, we should be staking out the jail and looking for an opening, not reading musty books!”

Prisha rolled her eyes. “These ‘musty books’ are exactly what we need to break them out! Geldenburg’s task force is completely corrupt. If they see us loitering around outside the jail, they’ll lock us up and throw away the key. But the archives could contain city blueprints: blueprints that might just include the jail itself,”

“Hmm, touché. Who would’ve thought a wood elf of all people would be giving me pointers on how to break into a place. Aren’t your kind supposed to be super honorable?”

“Honor is relative. Fighting against an unjust system in order to protect my friends is the most honorable thing I can do,”

They had reached the steps leading up to the archive.

“Well, this is your wheelhouse,” Mitch motioned toward the building. “Lead the way,”

\---

Finding what they were looking for wasn’t easy. They’d spent hours at it already, filing through yellowed scraps of paper and pulling out tome after tome of blueprints for every single building in the city. Whoever had organized the archives hadn’t done it with the intent of assisting vandalism and Mitch and Prisha certainly couldn’t ask anyone for help without revealing their plans, so they continued to work together in silence save for the occasional angry grumble from Mitch.

They were sitting at a table together, Mitch in the midst of a hefty tome while Prisha had just grabbed a new one, when their attentions were diverted from the books to the exasperated ranting of a nearby elf who was haranguing an archive employee nearby their table.

Prisha’s eyes narrowed at the sight. “Great. It’s one of those assholes,”

“What assholes?”

“A high elf,”

The elf was being quite loud. He had the poor employee pinned between two bookshelves and was waving a dusty tome angrily. “Clearly you gave me the wrong translation of Findral’s _Bemusings_! This interpretation of his thoughts on elemental bipartisan magic is completely different from what he’s meant to have said!”

“Well, sir,” The employee began softly, “That is the original document which you are holding. You can’t get more authentic than the primary source itself,”

“Utter nonsense!” the high elf scoffed. “I haven’t travelled around the entire realm for 50 years to be told I’m wrong by some simpering book peddler whose lived a fraction of those years. I demand you keep looking for the proper volume!”

“Sir, this is one of the only volumes in existence!”

“You mean to tell me there are no others?”

“Well.. it is rumored that the dwarves possess another copy, a sacred relic to them, hidden deep beneath the ground. No being outside the race of dwarves has ever laid eyes on it though. It may very well be a myth!”

“So it has come to this then,” the high elf dramatically extended his hand holding the tome, returning it to the worker. “If I must travel to very depths of hell itself, I will do it. I will not rest until I prove once and for all that what I say is true!” With that he strode out of the library, his robes swirling behind him.

Prisha let out an angry huff. “What utter nonsense. Elves like that are why people think so poorly of the race as a whole,”

“Still, he has a point,”

“What, about Findral’s _Bemusings_ and bipartisan magic? I thought you weren’t interested in reading,”

“Not that shit. He has the right idea going to see a dwarf for information. Their kind are treasure troves, literally and figuratively. We’re having no luck with the books here. We might as well go to somebody who knows metalworking and tunneling inside and out and see if we can get any helpful advice on how to get the halflings back,”

“You have a point. I was hoping the jail’s blueprints would be left open to the public due to organizational oversight, but that’s not the case. Let’s head out then and tail the bastard. He looked like he knew where he was heading,”

\---

They followed the high elf to the crafting district, keeping just far enough out of range to avoid detection. He wandered through the streets for a couple minutes, looking intent on finding a particular spot. It was clear once he had. He immediately stopped in his tracks then made his way inside the workshop, Prisha and Mitch following closely behind.

It was a tiny, quaint space. All sorts of examples of dwarven craftsmanship, martial and decorative, covered the shop’s walls. The roar of a fire could be heard far back in the workshop, and the warmth of the forge travelled all the way to the front where they stood. The high elf waited impatiently in front of the counter, tapping his foot briskly against the floor.

“I hear ya, I hear ya,” A voice came from inside the workshop. “Hold yer horses, I’m comin’,” A dwarf bustled out from the back room, wiping their hands on a rag which they quickly set aside before climbing the steps to the raised counter in order to talk to the high elf eye to eye. “Now what exactly can I help you with today, sir,”

“Well, I-” the elf froze midspeech. Entranced by the dwarf who stood before him. “Why, you’re a female dwarf! I thought those only existed in myth!”

The dwarf shrugged good-naturedly, a warm smile on her ruddy face. “Nah, we’re real. Most of us stay underground though, busy raisin’ the children and such. Not many have the time to go sightseein’,”

The high elf seemed at a loss for words, staring at the she dwarf in shock. His cheeks were dusted a faint pink, whether from the heat of the shop or other reasons. He stared on in rapt wonder, causing the dwarf to shuffle awkwardly under his gaze.

“You got a name, sir?”

“Aasim,”

“That’s a nice one. My name’s Ruby,”

“The precious gemstone. How fitting,”

“So do you have a commission for the shop or..?”

Aasim remained dumbstruck.

Prisha groaned loudly, pushing past him as she took a place in front of the counter. “Seeing as he’s lost his tongue, I’ll let you know what it is that I’m here for. Do you know-”

“How dare you!” Aasim gasped, his face hardening in anger. “For a lowly wood elf to step in front of a high elf and demand service first! In all my years, I’ve never seen anything like it! A wood elf forgetting her place… it’s unthinkable!”

“You know what?” Prisha snarled, turning around angrily. “I’ve just about had it with you and your boorish snob routine!”

“Boorish? Me? You take that back!”

“No!”

“You take that back you, you backwoods bumpkin!”

That did it. Something snapped in Prisha and she lunged forward, levelling the high elf to the floor with a single punch to the face. Mitch cheered in the background, applauding her loudly.  
Ruby was not as amused. “That’s it! You two, get out! I won’t abide any fighting in my shop!” She stepped down from the counter, circling it to offer Aasim a hand up. “Are you alright, sir?”

“Sir? He’s an ass!” Prisha protested.

“Out!”

Prisha and Mitch rolled their eyes and dragged their feet, but there was no getting around it. They were banished from the shop. They stood out on the street together, wondering what to do next.

“We could find another dwarf,” Mitch suggested. “There’s plenty of them in the crafting district,”

“I suppose….”

“Mitch! Prisha! Willy’s found you!” Willy bounded over to them, arms flapping eagerly as he approached. A young child ran behind him, eyeing the pair warily.

“What is it, Willy?” Prisha asked as he stopped before them.

“Marlon and the others have found a quest, one that’s sure to bring in plenty of ransom money and break-in weapons too!”

“Who’s the kid?” Mitch jerked his chin in the child’s direction.

“That’s A.J. He’s working with us to free Clementine!”

“Who’s Clementine?”

“The other halfling girl,” Prisha answered, connecting the dots as she looked at A.J. “You’re willing to do whatever it takes to get her out?”

The child nodded. “I’m getting Clem back no matter what!”

“Then let’s get to work,”


End file.
